This invention relates generally to scales for weighing animals and more particularly relates to a transportable livestock scale which may be transported over the highway and converted to a weighing platform at the site where livestock are located.
There has been a need by farmers for an accurate scale for weighing livestock which can be transported from one farm to another so that livestock can be weighed in familiar surroundings. The price received by the farmer for his livestock depends upon the weight of the animals. In the past, the customary procedure is to load the animals into a truck and transport them to a stationary weighing station. Since many types of livestock are excitable creatures, the process of rounding them up, loading them out of the truck, traveling to the weighing station, removing them and weighing them in unfamiliar surroundings, causes them to lose weight through excessive urination and defecation. As much as 5 to 8% of animal weight can be lost in this weighing process, which is an economic loss to the farmer selling the livestock.
There is a need for a way to bring the weighing platform to the animals rather than to bring the animals to the weighing platform. At the same time, conditions for obtaining accurate weights in the farmer's fields are not good, due to varying and rough terrain. There is a need for quickly setting up and establishing an accurate livestock scale in different types of locations and arranging for weighing several animals at a time in order to shorten the weighing process. Convenience of moving livestock on and off the scales in the shortest time is of primary importance.
Transportable livestock scales have been suggested in the prior art, usually of a small size for weighing one animal at a time. Such a scale is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,497-Hawbaker, which shows a livestock weighing cage hanging on a balance scale within a supporting frame. The frame has towing handles on one end and retractable wheels on the other. Another transportable livestock scale is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,008-Ostermann, comprising a cage supported by a frame mounted on wheels and employing a balance lever scale. The Hawbaker and Ostermann scales are lightweight devices suitable only for small animals, or at most, one large animal.
Other types of transportable livestock scales are known which may be disassembled, transported, and re-assembled, such as the scale shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,704-Purcell.
Stationary livestock weighing scales are known which use electrical load cells incorporating strain gages in the place of balance levers. Such a scale is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,427,083-Muddle which further incorporates adjustable feet for the weighing platform to support the platform. Another type of electronic livestock weighing system is commercially available as a stationary scale comprising load cells in "load bars" which are designed to be placed under decks and platforms for various weighing applications, including group livestock weighing crates. Such systems are marketed as Tru-Test/Snell platform scales by Snell Marketing, Inc. and require assembly with the decks or platforms.
Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved transportable livestock scale, which may be easily moved from one location to another and set-up to accurately weigh animals in groups.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved transportable livestock scale which is simple to operate and adaptable to various types of weighing conditions.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved livestock scale which is convenient for moving livestock on and off the scales quickly.